#125: My favorite things of 2022

Not exactly a gift guide

Good morning!

It’s time for another round of favorite things, this year featuring 23 new things split across the three genders (quotidian, clothing, and kitchen). Some of them might make for good gifts, but this isn’t exactly a gift guide. Like last year’s list, it’s just a catalog of things I’ve discovered this year that have markedly improved my life and also stood the test of time/wear/use. I have a digital-media-based grudge against recommendations that are made too soon after the acquisition of the thing, or more criminally, for things people haven’t actually touched or tried, and this list is free of such adulterants. 100% clean recs! Not getting any affiliate money either. Hope you enjoy.

Quotidian

Cervical traction device: Pretty sure I bought this because of a TikTok, but it’s become a house staple. We leave it out on a yoga mat at all times and friends who come over are always laying on it, sometimes after a few drinks. I love it. It does stuff to your neck you didn’t even know to ask for.

Gingher fabric sheers: A pillar of my 30s has been cultivating a diverse collection of tapes (packing, duct, scotch, blue, double-sided) and scissors (craft, kitchen, haircut, nail, fabric). These fabric scissors are so heavy, sharp, and satisfying. I use them for sewing but more so for randomly cropping the clothes I’m wearing five minutes before leaving the house.

Wooden laptop stand: Bought this to stave off growing a humpback. My favorite part is that it comes apart and can easily fit into my backpack when I plan to work outside of my apartment.

Tumaz yoga blocks + Manduka yoga mat wash: I don’t think the particular brands matter, I’m moreso just recommending buying yoga blocks and a mat spray if you do home yoga a lot. I don’t know why I put off buying both for so long but it’s so nice to have them. Feels more official.

Meridian trimmer: I’m not particularly committed to removing body hair but when I want to, this thing is a dream. Changed my life. Never a razor again, I swear to god. I think it’s a ball trimmer too, which is how you know it’s good.

Amber glass spray bottles: Decanting my surface and glass cleaners into amber glass bottles and labeling them has made cleaning so much more pleasant. Plus they fit more nicely under my sink! I’ll be honest these aren’t the exact bottles because mine are unmarked but they look exactly the same and might even be better.

took an artful pic for you

Hydroflask water bottle: While I was sad to retire my quart container + silicone straw habit that made shock waves around the world, this thing made it worth it. I carry it around with me like a fifth limb. This was the most-recommended water bottle when I asked for recs. Thank you for showing me the light.

Clothes

Octobre jeans: These are men’s jeans that I found and recommended to Avi and they were even better than either of us expected. They’re hefty, structured, comfortable, and fall nicely. Feel like men’s jeans are hard to find so I wanted to include them here. (Avi has the Barkley and Wrigley styles.)

J.Crew boxers: I’ve wanted basic high-waist boxers to wear to bed/around the house for so long and I finally checked J.Crew after I saw a woman wearing the perfect boxers at a yoga class and she told me they were from J.Crew. Bought some and they were exactly what I’ve always wanted. (Hers were mens I think but I found mine in the women’s section.)

One thing that didn’t make this section was these Laura Lombardi silver mini hoops, the only jewelry I ever wear, because I couldn’t find them online (I got them in the SSENSE sale). But if you like gold I found those here.

Everlane organic chunky beanie: I don’t shop at Everlane because I don’t trust them but Avi was buying a t-shirt from them and this beanie was recommended at checkout. Immediately became my favorite beanie. It just does the thing I wish all my other beanies did. Medium weight, stays on, holds shape. It’s also the perfect bright blue but I’m not seeing that color anymore. Huge mistake Everlane.

Vintage Dale of Norway sweaters: Was visiting my friend Amelia who lives in rural Pennsylvania and asked why all her husband’s heavy patterned sweaters were so good and she was very specific in her reply: Dale of Norway. Bought one on Etsy and never looked back.

Brain Dead t-shirts: I bought a couple sized-up Brain Dead tees in a big SSENSE sale and they quickly became favorites. They are so soft but not in an unnerving, cheap kind of way, and importantly they hold their shape. Avi borrowed one on a trip once and ended up buying some for himself. I like how colorful they are because most of my other tees are neutral and I’m entering my colorful era.

the tees in question

Spicy orange Stan Rays from The Consistency Project: A lot of places sell Stan Rays but The Consistency Project takes their time to make sure their versions are in the best possible shape. If you live in NY you can make an appointment at their showroom to have a pair altered to fit you perfectly.

Kitchen

Escali kitchen scale: I’ll be honest I don’t use this every day or even every week, but it’s so nice to have a kitchen scale when you need one. I have the bright orange one and I keep it out on my counter at all times. (Think I bought this after asking you about your most prized kitchen utensils.)

Peugeot pepper grinder: Avi got us this pepper grinder because we kept buying little ones from the store that were impossible to refill (such a waste), and it’s so worth it. Next to the grinder we keep two little salt bowls on the counter (one for fine sea salt and one for flaky salt) and we are constantly using and refilling all three. The bowls + this grinder are very much chef vibes.

Butter bell & butter knife: Another counter mainstay that has made over my kitchen experience. The brands on these don’t matter, it’s merely the concept of having soft butter on hand and the proper knife to spread it. Makes me feel sexy and alive.

Sarah Kersten bowls, butter bell, butter knifes, Falcon serving bowl

Falcon enamel serving bowl: I don’t need to explain why a serving bowl is useful, mainly I just love how this one looks.

Magnetic whiteboard: I’m obsessed with writing things on my fridge white board. Sometimes I use it to list the meals we have the ingredients for so I can quickly scan what’s possible at a given time (“meal to-do list”), but more recently I’ve just been using it for “store needs.” It’s so much easier to jot things down (peanut butter, toilet paper, milk) in a place my eye goes every day versus an iPhone note I’ll definitely forget about.

Sarah Kersten salad bowls: These were another Rec of the Week suggestion from a reader. I looked at so many “low bowls” from that thread and I’m so glad I settled on Sarah Kersten. They’re not cheap but we use them every single day and when they’re dirty I despair.

Lau Gan Ma spicy chili crisp: Chili crisp is the best chili oil in the world. I’m not sure if you’re unnerved by the idea of chili oil being “crispy” but trust me the crispy bits are the best part. This stuff can go on anything (rice, eggs, noodles, veggies), and smells so good I sniff it whenever I’m in a bad mood.

Refurbished Vitamix: Probably the most life-changing thing I bought this year. I hadn’t owned a proper blender for years when I bought this so I don’t think I was prepared for how much I’d use it. You can make anything in them: smoothies, soup, salad dressing, dip, etc. I love how simple and powerful the Vitamix is. I care for it like a child.

A big thank you to all my paying subscribers who have been so active in my rec-of-the-week threads this year. I’ve gotten sooo many great recs from you, it’s such a bonus of writing this newsletter! If you have any standout things that changed your life this year, would love to hear about them in the comments below. Also happy to answer any questions about the above things if you have them.

And if you’re here looking for gift ideas, I have a great one: A subscription to Maybe Baby! If you love Maybe Baby and know someone who also might love it, an annual subscription is a banger of a gift don’t you think?? That’s a full year of podcasts, advice columns, and top-tier recs for $50, in addition to the free essays every Sunday. The gift that keeps on giving!! A really good idea I think. You can decide when it officially “starts” so the gift isn’t spoiled.

Last thing: The long-awaited new episode of Dear Danny is dropping Tuesday! We’ll be covering “commitment issues,” long-distance friendship, how to have better conflict, birthday politics, “living in the moment,” and more, including Danny’s POV on the vaping drama.

Hope you have a nice Sunday,
Haley